


Thief Malnar

by TableTopGamer



Series: Thief Malnar [1]
Category: Backstory - Fandom, Original Work, RPG - Fandom, Traveller, TravellerRPG
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Aliens, Alternate Universe - Space Opera, Alternate Universe - Tabletop Gaming, Backstory, Explosions, Imperial Empire, My First AO3 Post, My First Work in This Fandom, Original Alien Character - Freeform, Original Fiction, Original Universe, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Other, Outer Space, POV Original Character, RPG, Scout - Freeform, Space Opera, Space Pirates, Space Stations, Thief, space ship, traveller - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-08-06 14:14:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16389251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TableTopGamer/pseuds/TableTopGamer
Summary: A character backstory created for a Traveller RPG.My first time writing, and it's not beta read, Sorry!Tabias Malnar came from the slums; one of trillions in a dying, overpopulated world. Follow his young life across the universe filled with aliens, heartache, thievery and other such adventures.





	1. Simple Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!
> 
> Just wanted to let you know, this section of the story is completely written, I'll be posting it periodically.
> 
> This is based on an RPG that I play every fortnight, so the next stage of the story (after this work) is being written after every game. I'm a few chapters in. I hope you enjoy!

There’s something poignant about silence. The peace that comes from vast open space and the freedom to move as you wish. I spent my entire childhood surrounded by noise, the smell of too many bodies in enclosed spaces. There was no sky, there were no open fields; just the vast rise of concrete buildings arching up out of view. I should introduce myself, I am Tabias Malnar. Born and raised in the crippling overpopulated capital of Albe. I am one of eight siblings, with blue collar parents that struggled to afford a roof for their brood, let alone any of the finer aspects of life. 

The small and weak didn’t last long in the city; in the winter it was the cold. People would pay their last credits to huddle in packs like sardines in the government run hostels but those without credits to spare weren’t so lucky, their bodies were collected weekly and send to the industrial incinerators. In the summers pestilence ran rampant, the dense muggy air a breeding ground for all forms of bacteria. Water was always the first to run out in the ration houses. Only those who were truly desperate would try the local wells; the reservoirs were as likely to poison as they were to fend off dehydration. This was the peak season for the body collectors.

The government would always tell us this sad state of existence was temporary, they preached and raved about the luxurious life that could be had once terraforming had finished on the planet of Cordillion. They spoke of understanding our pain, they spoke of austerity measures, of our fearless leader Gorluun III, they spoke of a new life filled with opportunity. I didn’t know much about that, all I knew was hollow feeling in my gut at night and the wondrous refuge to be found in the main city library. It was a ritual of mine, once a week I’d put on my cleanest outfit with my bag slung over a shoulder, the past weeks books a comforting weight as I made my way through the bustling city towards my personal sanctuary. 

My parents were honest people, Ma used to always say the only way to get through life was to tell it straight. Da never agreed, he used to tell us kids “You ain’t entitled to nothin’. Anything you want in this life, you gotta earn yusself, however you can.” I was never particularly strong, not like my older brothers, built from working for the body collectors, lifting people and access to steady meals let them grow, but never refined their brains. That’s where my strength lay. I knew very early on, while I’d never be strong, I could be smart. Kids in our neighbourhood were right devils; taking the harsh attitude of the destitute and using it to help pull themselves up the pecking order. I quickly learned that the only way to escape their notice was to wile my way into obscurity, melding myself into the background. 

When I was eighteen, I signed up for the Scouts. There was no possibility of failure in my brain. This was my opportunity to escape, to get off this planet, to earn something for myself, to BE someone. The news of my successful entry was overshadowed by the death of my sister. The fifth of us to die on this oppressive planet. I remember standing by the door as the collectors gathered my sister’s body, my mother couldn’t even cry. Her face was grey and looked to be made of stone, voice quiet as she turned to me “Be better than us. Go and don’t you dare look back.” So I did.

The first few months in the scouts flew by, I had learned all the regulations in my spare time as a child, needing only to spend the time orienting myself to regular meals and physical training. Within the first year in the scouts an opportunity came and I volunteered for the new mission exploring the uncharted planetary chain in the Trojan sector. Whilst there our ship began receiving what appeared to be crude communications from below the planetoids surface. It was decided that a member of the crew would go down and explore, relaying information back to the ship proper and eliminating the risk of other members of the crew. I was the first to volunteer. The planetoid looked devoid of water, it’s harsh craggy surface seemingly inhospitable to life; that is until you ventured down into the vast mine system beneath the surface. Away from the heat of the nearby sun, the mines were brimming with a host of differing life forms. Bioluminescent moss lit the internal passages, playing home to a host of insectoid creatures whose buzzing and chirruping created a cacophonic symphony that filled the space. 

The further I explored the louder the sounds became, until I felt I could feel the resonation deep within my chest, leaving me feeling bereft and insignificant, unable to understand the song of life around me. I’m unsure how long I followed those tunnels before becoming overwhelmed. Next thing I knew, I was on my knees unable to think past the barrage of sound that pummeled at me. I must have screamed, I might have passed out, it’s unclear. However, as my mind slowly returned to me I struck by the feeling of not being alone. Curiously, the sounds had shifted, muting into the background as a clear lilting song that my brain somehow understood was directed at me. Lifting my head as much as my HEV suit would allow, I could see the spined legs of the creature before me. Thus, I was introduced to Bellator of the species of Mantodea Custos, a previously unknown sentient species. Over the next few years Bellator and I would pave the way for open relationships between the Imperial empire and the Mantodea. 

With my success in establishing contact with the Mantodea, my place as ambassador between the two species was secured and an invitation was offered to me within the Imperial court to create a new Custosian embassy in Provence and to facilitate the trade of goods and knowledge between the empire and the lonely planet. My life radically changed as I suddenly found myself a part of an opulent political court. The robes worn in the Imperial Core were impossible to move in, the food ridiculously complex and the social nuance seemed completely beyond my simple capabilities. If it wasn’t for Ternal Incram, an unexpected friend, I would have tanked my way out of the assignment within the first month. Ternal was a local Nobleman, born and bred within the capital city of Provence. As part of his education, his family had sent for a personal tutor from Albe, giving him an open mind to the ways of the lower classes. Inexplicably, he found me a never ending source of amusement, he said my honest responses pushed those around me into a tailspin of overanalysis. Constantly searching for double and triple meanings as I ambled around innocently.


	2. A Simple Mission

I was twenty-seven when my world fell apart. It was a simple mission, gather intelligence about a primitive species and their planet without giving away our presence. The higher ups had deemed our technology levels too advanced for the species, their planet was to be analysed then sealed off and protected from the rest of the universe until they had matured. A simple, easy mission that I was happy to take; bored of my time in the imperial court. Three of us suited up for the primary visit of the planets surface, bioscan readers ensuring we were would be warned of anyone approaching. We hadn’t counted on carnivorous flora. 

I was leading the expedition with the bio scanner, Lorn behind me with the samples and Ansa trailing behind as the guard. Next thing I knew, Ansa let out a harsh “oomph” as her legs were pulled out from under her; we turned to see her begin sliding into the dense clump of bushes beside us, fingers leaving deep crevices along the dirt in her wake. Adrenaline surging, I leapt after her just in time to see her being pulled into the open maw of a giant plant, jagged thorns were laid out in rows as vines pulled her closer. Grabbing her by the wrists, I attempted to use my feet as anchor points in the earth in order to counter the force at which she was being pulled. It was the perfect response, if you ignore the fact that I have never been strong or large. I could be quick and agile, but I was useless against the raw strength of the vines, and we both ended up being dragged. Once Ansa’s legs reached the plant, it drew her high into the air at which point my tentative grip on her wrists was lost, and I flopped back to the ground. I watched it eat her, thorns puncturing her skin as she screamed. 

There was no way to save her, so I stumbled to my feet and ran back the way we came, colliding into the shock-still form of Lorn. “To the ship!” I screamed at him, quickly calling for emergency evac from the captain as we crashed through the undergrowth. They pulled us back to the ship and we basked in the safety of familiarity. It was agreed that the planet would not only be sealed for the protection of the indigenous people, but also for the safety of others. We turned in our explorers gear and found deep gashes in the sides of our HEV suits where they had been clawed open. My bio scanner was cracked from my fall earlier; and a deep sense of foreboding filled me as we realised what this meant. “Something… something is on the ship.” I whispered, turning to the Captain whose eyes were wide with horror, looking behind me. “...Cap…?” Lorn wavered, I turned in time to see him take a deep breath and close his eyes as the furred creature on his shoulder bit straight into his neck.

Everything was chaos after that. So much of what happened next runs together into a haze while other moments shine crystal clear in my mind. There’s the Captain running past me into the main corridor, opening the sealed room. The blood dripping down my face is warm, “Not mine...” I think to myself. There are screams, I don’t know who from, maybe from me? Next comes the blare of the alarm followed by the ships AI announcing the distress signal being sent on all frequencies; the main lights go down and there is a few second delay before the emergency lights flicker. “No.. They can’t get off the ship.” I take off to the control bay, ignoring the bodies lining my path. It’s useless, the main power supply has been cut off and there’s no way to retract the frequency while running on emergency power.

I’m unsure of how long I stood there, frozen, staring at a blank console attempting to give it power through sheer will alone. Suddenly I became filled with rage, an anger so intense it was nauseating, consuming me from the inside. I roar; beating and kicking the console, until my knuckles are bloody and I collapse in a heap of hysterical sobs. A sudden thump against the control bay doors knocks me back into reality. There’s no way to take back the frequency, help will be coming and if anyone steps onto the ship they’re at risk. Taking a shuddering breath, I center myself into calmness. There is one final option.

I head over to the engineering console, the only bay that runs with emergency power and type in my override code. A wave of self preservation flows over me, there is something outside the bay doors so I climb on top of the console, one booted foot obscuring the ominous countdown flashing in red and pull myself up into the air ducts. Time blurs again, and for no real reason I’ve decided I’ve gone far enough, and drop down back into a main corridor. The thunk of my landing does nothing to cover the sound of skittering behind me in the distance. Without looking, I take off running towards the scout pods and end up tripping, landing hard in a sticky pool and staring into the blank eyes of the captain. There is a hole in his chest and his blood has oozed across the floor. Then there’s more running and the open doors to the pods in front of me. I throw myself through the open door just as a creature behind me lets out a shriek and slam it shut, engaging the autopilot as I huddle in the corner. I think I fell asleep, but feel calm as I wake, the flashing from the pods communications unit lighting the otherwise dark interior. “This is Captain Bar-...merchant ves….stress ca…-nyone there?” Standing, I make my way to the console “This is Explorer Malnar, my main ship is lost, requesting aid.” 

Captain Barnick was a fair man, offering me passage to his next port without recompense, but offered to take me straight to the nearest scout base in return for the pod. Of course, this was wildly against regulations, but it was a better offer than I would get elsewhere. I had no coin to barter travel, and the pod was nearly out of fuel. I did the only logical thing, and accepted. The merchant vessel Bessie’s Grace was of moderate size, housing approximately two hundred individuals with ease and a crew of 50. Negotiations completed, I was shown to a crew bunk where I took the opportunity to clean myself up before heading to the main deck. Barnick didn’t push me to give the details of what had happened, accepting my simple story of a mission gone wrong, stating: “Outt’ere in the vast, things happen. Sumtimes those things are worst than others. I’ll take you to yur people, let them sort it out. The vast hasa way of making or breaking people. Which’re you gonna be? Made or broke?” 

On the ship there was a travelling scientist, Dr. Nikita Oren, who attached herself to me like a bad smell. “Come on, Explorer. Do you honestly expect me to accept a simple mission failure led to the death of 30 scouts? What really happened?” Nothing I did could persuade her to leave me alone. As soon as I left my bunk in the morning I’d be greeted by her waiting outside the pod, notebook in hand. She’d follow me to the mess hall, waited outside the lavatory, hounding me incessantly. After the sixth day I snapped completely “I did what I HAD TO DO. Just leave me in peace!” I shouted after a particularly rigorous round of prodding about the nature of our mission in the area, and was met by a calm “Mmm-hmm…” Followed by the sound of her pen furiously writing in her pad. With a scoff I stood and bolted out of the room. On the seventh day we approached the Scout outpost, a fair portion of the crew stood to say their goodbyes. Captain Barnick gave a firm slap on my solder, knocking my slight frame forward and ignoring my wince “Righty, we gotcha where ya needed t’be. Yur welcome back with us anytime. This sector is our main travel-stream so go ta any port and ask after the Bessie’s Grace, ya hear?” Nodding, I thanked the man and headed towards the exit, pulled fast by a sharp grip on my sleeve. “Malnar, whenever you decide to tell your story, come find me.” With a nod, I pull myself free and leave the Bessie’s Grace.


	3. A Simple Career

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An end of a dream, and the first steps beyond.

It should have been a relief to be back among the scouts, the family I had chosen for myself. However, the staring of eyes that followed me didn’t seem reassuring, but almost accusing and I found myself hunching forward in an attempt to make myself smaller, if possible. I was lead to the head of the moons outpost; Senior Scout Halgar, a rank 4 Courier, born to the lowest tier of nobleman in the Ablean empire, who stumbled upon his position due to how close to the edge of chartered space the outpost was. It was an unwanted post, but Halgar took it eagerly, revelling in the sudden rise of power that came as a result. He was a hunched man, in his late forties, with a faded uniform that seemed stretched and ready to explode, obviously fitted to a younger, less rotund self. He had an unfortunate habit of sucking his teeth, distracting and unendingly irritating. “You are the sole survivor of the ship Integral?” He asked with a disdainful glance. “Yes sir. Explorer Tabias Malnar, Explorer rank 2.” I replied, squaring my shoulders and straightening myself to my full 5’3” height. He snorted, “I’ve heard of you. That buggy-alien lover from Albe. Go on then, make your report.” With a harsh suck of his teeth and a disparaging wave, he settled himself in his chair in the perfect impersonation of unaffected boredom.

I held nothing back, staring blankly at a spot on the wall behind Halgar’s left shoulder, reliving every painful moment and explaining every decision I made from the onset to making my way to the base. At the end I felt myself quiver with repressed emotion, feeling bile in the back of my throat, but more importantly feeling exhausted. Like giving this report was me removing a heavy weight from my shoulders and all I wanted to do was lay on the floor and sleep for a week. The scouts that lined the room shifted throughout the story, quiet whispers and soft gasps the only other sound as I went through my retelling. After a period of silence Halgar pulled himself more centrally on the chair and began to laugh. “Do you, HONESTLY, expect me to believe that? That a senior crew could be so easily overrun by such base creatures?! Nonsense!” 

“Senior Scout, please…”

“Enough! I’ve had enough of your lies. You seek to convince us to absolve you, when in actuality instead of containing the situation, you ordered the destruction of the ship, killing everyone on board! Not to mention you threw away Scout property by using it as currency! I will be making my report to higher ups, but as it stands I strip you of your rank and title. You have turned your back on the scouts, who took you in against the judgement of better minds, you murdered your comrades and you seek to crawl in here and get no repercussions?! You’re lucky I don’t have you arrested!” Halgar stood, his face purple by the end of his tirade. “Scouts! Escort Malnar off the premises. Immediately!” 

“Wait!” I shouted, “If you are truly stripping me, I am due my payout. You can’t leave me with nothing.” An ugly look crossed the portly mans face, “I can, and I will.” With a cry and shouted protests I was dragged from the room. The life I had built for myself was shattered, leaving me with nothing.

I spent the night out by the docks, using my final credits in the bar to drink myself into a stupor ranting about the harshness of the world to anyone who would listen before passing out in the back alley. Waking was abrupt and decidedly unpleasant, the water cold and the adrenaline sickening. I flung myself up with a wail, turning to see a auburn-haired woman in a black trench coat holding a dripping bucket flanked by two burly grunts whose species I couldn't identify. “What is the meaning of this?!” I growl holding my fists up. 

“Whoa, easy Tiger. I’m here to help, my names Aina. I couldn’t help but be moved by your sob story last night; and, seeing as how Senior Scout Halgar is cheating me out of a huge chunk of credits, I am finding myself inclined to get my own back. You know?” I stare in confusion, my hungover brain slowly attempting to process. Without any aggressive action from the trio, I let my arms drop to my sides. Aina chuckles, “You look like a drowned rat. Smell like one too. Here, let me spell it out for you. You’re owed some money, I’m owed some money, I figure that together we can shaft that xenophobic asshat. Give him what he deserves. Hell, if things go well, I might even be able to pass you on some work.” 

At this point my brain finally decides to join the party, and the enormity of what this lady is offering hits me. My eyes go wide. “So, are you interested?” She asks, extending one gloved hand. I nod.

 

Thus I took my first steps into the criminal underground. True to her word, Aina the Pirate Extraordinaire, led me through my first heist, leading to the accumulation of a few scouts ships, and a solid payout for her team and myself. I travelled with her team as we fled the moon outbase and she introduced me to her boss, the magnificent Pirate Arlo Yorna. Arlo was an established crime boss himself, 50 years old, with sleek salt and peppered hair, a groomed goatee and a voice like molasses. I was struck with a visceral attraction to him unlike anything I had ever felt before. It was like a physical need, leaving me pliant and amenable to anything he wanted. Almost immediately we fell into bed together, he seemed to like the power and size difference between us. Arlo was the one who started me on my career as a thief. Rationalising it with a simple “They stole your whole life from you, isn’t it time you stole something back?”

Years flew by after that. I had never felt quite so accepted anywhere before. Here I was praised for my size, perfect for sneaking around and easily overlooked. This was a job where my brain was my biggest asset, quick thinking and sly fingers allowing me to climb the ranks quickly. I began making a name for myself. At first Arlo was proud, he’d call me his little Ermine as we lay entwined, sticky and exhausted. But as the honeyed years came to a close, our visits became less frequent, his team would stay out of port longer and longer and he would become more frustrated with me “overstepping myself’. 

It ended in a heated blaze. I’d been promoted and granted my own tiny crew. We took a ship and came across Arlo’s team. We weren’t due to meet, I had thought to surprise him, show off my new rank and make him proud. Maybe help put the fire back between us. Funny thing about fire though. It burns.

I found Arlo in a tavern; tavern girl on his lap, skirts carefully arrayed to cover her rhythmic movements. I knew he was that way inclined, it was something we had spoken about before. He would tilt his head and laugh, a deep throated bellow that always sent butterflies under my diaphragm. “Worry not, Little Ermine. No woman could match you.” Yet here he was, balls deep. A film of red washed over my vision and next I knew I had leapt to the couple and wrenched back her hair, shearing it off with my pocket knife. She tumbled to the floor with a scream, hands jerking to her shorn hair. Arlo stood, “Now, now my little Prowler. This isn’t what it seems” The sentiment was ruined by him hastily tucking himself back into his britches. 

The interaction turned into a vile spewing of hateful filth between both of us. A firm and solid end to the seven year relationship we had shared. Like the lancing of a boil, the repressed anger and resentment from both of us came out in a violent spray, ending with Arlo shouting that I would never amount to anything without him. That he gave me this life. I made the decision then, “You may have sent me down this path, but I choose to continue it. You shall see, Arlo, my name will be known across the universe. I shall be one of the greatest thieves of all and no one will think of you!”


	4. A Simple Heist

I dedicated everything to my career. Things seemed to be going well. I was approached by an eager upstart pirate, Jeffrey Von Starstrap, who had a business venture for me. He was young, full of charisma and enthusiasm, the world hadn’t quite gotten to him yet and he lived for excitement and opportunity. I was sure that one day he would be ground into something stronger, keep that charisma with a healthy dash of grit and skepticism, but for now he was a shiny, eager puppy with a new toy he wanted to share. “Just think of all the money we could make! See, I know this guy, and he created S.T.U.F.F. you know, that new drug that came out? Well this guy makes it! Right now we’ve got the market cornered, no one else knows how to make the stuff, ha, S.T.U.F.F. get it?! Anyway, I’m putting together this operation and I want to give you the opportunity to get involved, to make some real money, not this petty cash from thieving. What say you?” 

So my tiny crew became drug runners. What we didn’t realise at the time was that S.T.U.F.F. was very often lethal. The body count of helpless druggies just kept rising, you would think something that risky would eventually lose favour, but it seemed the opposite was true. We simply couldn’t supply enough to meet the growing demand. It seemed this mysterious creator wouldn’t give up the formula to anyone else, so he was the only one making the drug. One guy trying to supply across the known ‘verse. With a mortality rate sitting above 65%, it didn’t take long to catch the military’s interest. 

It was meant to be just like any other pick-up. I arranged to meet Starstrap at our usual rendezvous, but this time my gut was telling me something was off. It was too easy to get my ship there, no customs officials, no military, not even a single trading vessel had been coming along this popular trade route. It was too quiet. I kept my team on high alert, not wanting to touch down on the asteroid until we had verified that Starstrap was there. Our scanners caught a blip behind one of the neighbouring asteroids, with a bit of maneuvering, we spotted a military fleet poised and waiting. It was too much, I turned my team around and we left poor Jeffrey Von Starstrap to his fate.

After that, I spent some time laying low within the criminal underground of a nearby system, my name began to be known, starting in the rogue sector, but slowly moving out across the ports, captains knew to watch for my vessel and I knew I was at the cusp. I just needed that extra step before I could truly make it. One extraordinary heist that would spread my name to the far reaches of the universe.

The idea was brilliant. It was far beyond anything I had ever done. It was madness, insanity, I was overreaching myself. It was perfect. There wasn’t a solid rogue base within the Imperial Empire. It was limited to shadier docking stations and underground dealings, with a high risk of getting caught. Those who dared to deal and work in that area were long established, heartless souls, grizzled and scarred, the scariest in the ‘verse. However, the scouts had a base located on an asteroid in the heart of the Imperial Empire, it was small; a scout team of ten permanently stationed with running things, only room for five ships in port and slightly outdated, most crews ended up taking the extra weeks travel to one of the larger and more luxurious bases to ensure the crews could get some recreation time and access to better supplies.

With a crew of five we managed to make legitimate redeployment orders for the base crew. Posing as engineers carrying refurbishment orders, we managed to get them on their ships while we saw to necessary upgrades for the site. Easy, the team is gone, only a few families who work the menial jobs were left and they were easily bribed into acquiescence . The next step, take control of the port. Knock out the portmaster, send him in the cargo bay of another ship and replace him with one of us. Start ‘mandatory redirections’ to ships cutting off the tiny flow of traffic that there was. Next we send out messages to other rogue crews in the area, bring in a well known fence from one of the main worlds and offer him the chance to be a kingpin on the base, then settle a permanent rogue crew to manage the site. The biggest thing was time, time to get the message out. After that, we had a true rogue base in the heart of the Imperial Empire. With the numbers there it was easy to defend if needed, but small enough to completely fly under the radar. As far as the Empire was concerned, it was still a tiny Scout base.

After that my name was stamped in the legends of time. I became a crime lord in my own right settled firmly in the management of the most important rogue base in the universe. The highest ranking of thief I could be. I had done exactly what I had set out to do. At the early age of 50 I had managed to peak. So where do you go from there? After a while boredom had managed to set in, and the base was so busy. It was filled with a cacophony of noise, loud boisterous laughter and the sound of livestock and machines. I missed space. I missed the silence. There is something poignant about silence, something truthful and honest and peaceful. It was time for me to return to that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of the backstory,
> 
> I'm working on adding what happens next, with a bit more detail, more adventures, and hopefully some better detail.
> 
> Writing things is hard. 
> 
> Who knew?
> 
> Please let me know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> Last note, if anyone is interested in beta-ing for me, I would love them completely!


End file.
